London’s Trafalgar Square welcomed its latest artistic installation as New York-based artist Tschabalala Self unveiled her bronze and blue sculpture, Lady In Blue, on the historic Fourth Plinth.
Here is the kicker. For over a quarter of a century, this famous stone pedestal has traded military heroes and royal figureheads for provocative, contemporary conversations about public art. Self’s creation breaks fresh ground as the 16th artwork displayed on the plinth since the commissioning program kicked off in 1998, stepping away from historical veneration to spotlight an ordinary, ambitious metropolitan woman walking toward our collective future.
The Bottom Line
- The Artwork: Tschabalala Self’s Lady In Blue replaces Teresa Margolles’ Mil Veces un Instante on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth.
- The Material: The bronze and blue sculpture features a rich patina refined from Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone used by artists for millennia.
- The Selection: Chosen by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chaired by Ekow Eshun, the statue will remain on view for a two-year residency.
Reimagining the Monumental in the Heart of London
Public squares across global cultural capitals are typically dominated by bronze generals on restless horses or monarchs frozen in stern contemplation. Trafalgar Square is no exception, bearing centuries of British military and political history on its stone plinths. But the Fourth Plinth operates as a distinct cultural laboratory. Left empty for more than 150 years after funding ran out for an equestrian statue of William IV, the modern commissioning program—started by the RSA in 1998 with Mark Wallinger’s Ecce Homo—has transformed the space into a rotating showcase for contemporary discourse.
Enter Tschabalala Self. Born in New York in 1990, the artist has built an international reputation working across painting, printmaking, and sculpture, frequently employing sewn and printed materials to construct expressive depictions of the human figure. Self held her first institutional exhibition in London and later showed her first major painting series in the city, deepening her creative ties to the British capital.
With Lady In Blue, Self sidesteps the traditional impulse to commemorate a singular historic elite. As the artist explained, her sculpture depicts a woman who is not an idol to venerate, but rather a contemporary Londoner representing the city’s forward-looking spirit.
Material Craftsmanship and the Two-Year Residency
Artistic ambition in public spaces requires material resilience, and Lady In Blue meets that standard through a meticulous fabrication process. The bronze and blue figure is patinated using a specialized pigment refined from Lapis Lazuli, an ancient semi-precious stone prized by creators for thousands of years. This striking coloration sets a vibrant visual tone against the austere Portland stone architecture surrounding Trafalgar Square.
Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries Justine Simons praised the installation, describing the work as a striking addition to a historic part of the city. The sculpture anchors a two-year rotation on the plinth, following Teresa Margolles’ poignant work Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Current Installation | Lady In Blue by Tschabalala Self |
| Previous Artwork | Mil Veces un Instante by Teresa Margolles |
| Commissioning Chair | Ekow Eshun |
| Program Origin | Started by the RSA in 1998 (First work installed in 1999) |
| Future Installation | Andra Ursuta (Scheduled for 2028) |
Looking Ahead to the Next Chapter on the Plinth
Public art commissions of this scale do more than occupy physical real estate; they spark rigorous debates about who gets to be immortalized in public spaces. The Fourth Plinth has consistently challenged viewers to weigh the value of contemporary artistic expression against historic civic memory, drawing tourists and local commuters alike into daily aesthetic encounters.
The selection process for these installations operates years in advance. Self was originally named as a winning artist alongside Andra Ursuta back in March 2024 by the independent commissioning panel. While Self’s Lady In Blue takes its turn anchoring the London skyline for the next twenty-four months, preparations are already underway for Ursuta’s forthcoming sculpture, which is slated to go up on the plinth in 2028.
As Londoners walk past Trafalgar Square this week, they aren’t just looking at another statue. They are witnessing an ongoing evolution in public monumentality—one that swaps old symbols of conquest for an everyday portrait of urban ambition. Drop a comment below: how do you feel about contemporary art taking over historic public squares?
